Trump asks for time to review US-Iran nuclear deal
US and Iranian negotiators have agreed on a 60-day memorandum of understanding extending the ceasefire and nuclear talks, but President Trump requested additional time to review the deal before final approval. Regional hostilities escalated Thursday as US forces shot down four Iranian drones near the Strait of Hormuz and struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas, while Iran targeted a US base in retaliation. Kuwait faced Iranian missile and drone attacks and Israel resumed strikes in Lebanon, killing at least 14 people, with Prime Minister Netanyahu ordering control of 70 percent of the Gaza Strip.
Anthropic raises $65B, becomes world's most valuable AI company
Anthropic raised $65 billion in a Series H funding round, valuing the AI startup at $965 billion post-money and surpassing OpenAI's $852 billion valuation, making it the world's most valuable private AI company. The round was led by Altimeter Capital, Dragoneer, Greenoaks, and Sequoia Capital, with strategic infrastructure partners Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix also participating. Anthropic has committed to spend more than $100 billion over the next decade on Amazon's cloud technologies, and the company reportedly crossed $1 billion in run-rate revenue earlier this month.
NASA Awards Contracts for First Permanent Moon Base
NASA awarded contracts to Blue Origin, Astrobotic, and Intuitive Machines for uncrewed lunar missions beginning this fall, with the first privately funded lander heading to the Shackleton crater at the lunar south pole. The three-company program, part of the Artemis initiative, targets semi-permanent human presence by 2032 and faces competition from China, which aims to land astronauts by 2030. The missions depend on SpaceX's delayed Starship system, while separate SpaceX plans for the first crewed Mars flyby face more conservative timelines, with one astronaut estimating human arrival in the 2050s.
AI IPO Wave May Push Market Concentration to 19th Century Highs
Stock markets are surging despite geopolitical and economic risks, but 85% of S&P 500 gains in 2026 stem from technology stocks. Anthropic secured $65 billion in funding at a $965 billion valuation, following OpenAI's $122 billion raise and SpaceX's pending $2 trillion IPO. Analysts warn the upcoming IPOs could push market concentration to levels not seen since the 19th century rail industry crisis. However, they argue current valuations differ from the dot-com era because the Big Seven reported 62.3% earnings growth in Q1 versus 17.4% for the rest of the index.
Netanyahu orders military to control 70% of Gaza
Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to take control of 70% of the Gaza Strip, directly challenging the October 2025 ceasefire agreement under which Israel initially controlled roughly 53% of the territory. Israel currently controls approximately 60% of the Strip. The Israeli military struck two senior Hamas commanders on Wednesday evening while they were meeting in an apartment after emerging from underground tunnels. Security officials are awaiting final confirmation of their deaths. Israeli forces crossed the Litani River and struck more than 150 targets in Tyre, Nabatieh, and the Bekaa Valley in response to Hezbollah drone attacks.
China inspects strategic reserves amid Hormuz crisis
Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspected strategic oil reserves and grain stockpiles in Zhoushan and Ningbo this week, responding to the US-Israel war on Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict has disrupted shipping lanes carrying roughly 35 percent of China's oil consumption. Brent crude climbed 2.1 percent to $96.29 per barrel Tuesday. Iranian officials have reportedly begun charging tolls for vessels since an April ceasefire agreement. China's Ambassador to Israel described last week's Xi-Trump summit as "historic," though Trump reportedly departed Beijing with few concrete wins.
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- EU prepares sweeping measures to shield industry from China. Commission officials will propose supplier diversification rules, faster trade safeguards and tighter conditions on non-EU investments accessing European subsidies.
- Russian Drone Crashes Into Romanian Apartment, Injuring Two. Romania's defense ministry confirmed the breach of its airspace, the second such incident in months, as the drone struck a 10th-floor apartment and triggered a fire that forced the evacuation of around 70 residents.
- New hepatitis B drug lets some patients stop all treatment. GSK's experimental drug bepirovirsen helped roughly 20% of patients in two trials achieve a functional cure, suppressing the virus even after stopping therapy. The FDA is expected to rule on approval by October.
- Anthropic releases Opus 4.8 with focus on AI honesty. The fast release—41 days after Opus 4.7—comes as Anthropic races to stay ahead of OpenAI and Google. Early testers at Bridgewater Associates say the model proactively flags issues other AI misses.
- UN adds Israel to sexual violence blacklist alongside Hamas. Israel plans to freeze cooperation with the UN after placing the Israeli Prison Service on the Secretary-General's list of parties suspected of committing sexual violence in armed conflicts.